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The RMS Titanic leaving Southampton, England on its doomed maiden voyage. Being polite lowered the chances of surviving the sinking which claimed more than 1500 lives.Photo: AP

Polite Poms 'had no chance on Titanic'

Shannon Molloy | January 14, 2009

American passengers on the Titanic managed to get off the
sinking cruise liner in time because they pushed their way into
lifeboats, while their fellow British passengers politely queued, a
Brisbane researcher has found.

Queensland University of Technology behavioural economist David
Savage studied four maritime disasters of the 20th century to
determine how people reacted in situations of life and death.

Using the key concepts of economics, being scarcity and
self-interest, Mr Savage examined whether people reverted to a
"survival of the fittest" mentality when faced with possible
death.

"It seems that on the Titanic the social norm of 'women and
children first' was followed, as proportionally more women than men
and almost all the children on board survived," he said.

Lifeboat spaces on the Titanic were scarce but Mr Savage said
something made some passengers stand back and allow others to take
their places.

"This life and death situation is treated as a 'one-shot game'
because those who let others onto lifeboats knowing they faced
certain death acted out of something other than self-interest."

However the study also suggests some British passengers gave up
their spots because the Americans did not understand ideals of
common courtesy.

Mr Savage believes queuing etiquette may not have been as strong
among the line-jumping Yankees as it was with Britons.

While those in first class were closer to the lifeboat deck and
secured spaces faster than those in lower classes, the research
also indicates preferential treatment and inside knowledge about
the crisis.

"We expect that first class passengers had higher bargaining
power (but also) better access to information about the imminent
danger, which may have increased survival rates," he said.

The results of the study indicate a strong support for the
theory that social norms and altruisms remain relevant during a
disaster.

Mr Savage is also analysing data from the sinking of the cruise
liner Lusitania in 1915 by a German U-boat off the coast of
Ireland, the 1956 sinking of luxury ship Andera Doria and the loss
of the Estonia passenger ferry in 1994.